| My wife bought us a rabbit about a year ago. We kept it in the house
for about 3 months in a wire cage about 1 ft by 2ft by 16inches high.
After the rabbit reached full size, the rabbit could barely move
between the food bowl and his water bottle.
We built a Hutch for outside. Basically we built a frame out of 2x4's
that was 3 ft. wide and 6 ft. long. We put legs on the corners about 3
ft tall. Then I put some cross pieces inside the frame which basically
formed one piece the long direction and 2 or 3 across the short way.
We then got some Hardware cloth with 1/2 inch opening and covered the
frame. This makes the "floor" of the hutch and allows waste products,
etc to pass thru and from a pile under the hutch.
Then we extended the legs up another 28 - 32 inches above the level of
the "floor". The front legs are 32 and the back 28. Snapped a chalk
line and cut the tops off at an angle. Slapped a sheet of plywood on
and put a screw thru the plywood and into each extended leg/roof support.
I was going to put shingles on it but never got around to it. Its been
up a year and I am finding the we are getting a bit of sag in the
middle of the roof which could be fixed but screwing a couple of 2x2's
underneath to provide support.
Then got some Hardware cloth with a 2 inch opening. Wrapped it around
the 4 legs and stapled it to the frame of the floor and the roof
supports. 1 staple every other opening, did not want the rabbit to be
able to get out. Cut another piece of large 2 inch hardware cloth
and rested it on the top edges of the "side" pieces. Took some small
guage wire and wired the top piece to the side pieces forming a box
consisting of a floor (1/2 inch hardware cloth), 4 sides and top of 2
inch hardware cloth.
Took a wire cutter and cut a hole in the wire cloth about 16-18 inches
high and 2 1/2 ft wide. Framed the opening with 2x2's. Built another
frame of 2x2's which fit inside the framed opening. Staple the removed
hardware cloth to the small frame. Put hinges, and a latch on the
frame and attached the "door" to the hutch. The dimensions are
actually half the height of the "box" and the inside width between the
supports on the short side, whatever that turned out to be.
Built a 4 sided box out of 1x12. Put that in so that 1 open side is
down toward the ground and the other facing the rabbit. Put in couple
handfulls of straw. The rabbit put some of the straw in the box to
make a nesting area and the rest to keep warm during winter. He will
also eat some but not enough for you to notice. Attached a water
bottle and a feeding station.
The legs raise it off the ground so that the bunny is at waist level.
I would have made it higher but that is what the wife wanted. For
children that would be eye level and for your a good working level.
She got the idea out of a book she got at the library that was a book
of plans for things around the farm and house. We modified it a bit
from the drawing but it gives the rabbit room to run around. The
book said that the interior height needs to be at least 16 inches so
that they can strech out. He will spend time on top of the box and
will naw on the wood frame. DO NOT use pressure treated if you want
the rabbit to live. Use fir, cedar, or other rot resistant wood.
Later we added some cedar pre-made lattace to the back side and one
short side to offer wind break and some feeling of protection for the
rabbit.
Remember that the rabbit is basically a shy animal. In the wild, they
like to hide in undergrowth. They only attack other animals when
cornered and basically run as their means of offense/defense. Provide
them some place that they can hide but still watch the world go by.
Get a book about how to raise rabbits. They have special needs very
different from typical pets - cat and dogs.
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| I'd like to thank those that responded to this note and those that sent
mail. As things turned out, my mother-in-law brought the bunny over
our house Monday when I thought it was coming tomorrow (Saturday)!
Already having two dogs and a cat it wasn't possible to leave the bunny
in the house for too long a period of time. So I had to get working on
the thing pronto. I spoke to a woman at a local pet shop and got some
good ideas from her. The hutch I built is 18" wide, 18" high and two
feet deep. It sits inside a 6'W X 2'D X 2.5'H exercise area. They really
seem to enjoy themselves. That's right, they! We now have two of the
little guys (wife: "we should get another one, he looks lonley" sniff,
sniff.) We've been told they are both the same sex. Our fingers are
crossed that they are. Thanks for the pointer to the Small_Animals
notes conference Bruce. Should come in handy.
Steve
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